Despite a highly discriminatory Industrial package having been announced by the GOI recently it is shocking that none of the senior leaders of BJP have responded till date to the public outcries against the alleged prejudicial treatment to Jammu with the motor mouths of the saffron brigade also having maintained a studied silence. It has been reported in media that out of 70 Industrial estates sanctioned for J&K UT, 46 are allocated for Kashmir Division and merely 24 fall in the kitty of the marginalized, incarcerated Jammu region. The proposed distribution being highly biased and objectionable, the Panthers Party seeks a fair deal for Jammu region with equal share in the said industrial package so announced by the GOI”. This was stated by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister while addressing a press conference in Jammu today.

            Elucidating the details of allocation of the said Industrial estates as appearing in the media, Mr. Singh expressed dismay that out of 58 Industrial estates proposed to be set up by SICOP, 38 were proposed for Kashmir and merely 20 for Jammu. Likewise out of the 12 Industrial Estates to be established by SIDCO, 8 fell in Kashmir region and merely 4 in Jammu Division, he divulged. With 66% of the Industrial Estates falling in the kitty of Kashmir, funds allocation and Job avenues would also be apportioned between the two regions in the same proportion thereby doling out the most hostile discrimination to the already deprived Jammu region, lamented the NPP Chairman.

            Mr. Harsh Dev asserted that Jammu region was being administered the most obnoxious dozes of discrimination even after the abrogation of Art 370 and re-organization of the state with the centre and state govt seeming to be completely focused on Kashmir. The recent select list released by the govt in Fire Services Deptt had 620 selected candidates from Kashmir with merely 70 candidates from Jammu. In another select list of Assistant Professors in Bio Chemistry (clinical), all 12 selected candidates belonged to Kashmir region. Similarly, the regularly selected candidates of Health Deptt under SRO 24 numbering around 1500 belonging to Jammu region were arbitrarily terminated while allowing their Kashmir counterparts to continue. The J&K Bank selection list was quashed merely for the reason that the number of selected candidates from Jammu region was higher than that of Kashmir. The Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) was launched in Kashmir so as to procure the produce of valley based orchardists at MSP without providing similar facility to orchardists and aggrieved farmers of Jammu region. Only recently the GOI announced the promotion of Kashmir saffron at international level without uttering a word about Doda and Kishtwar saffron which too has a universal appeal. The neglect of Jammu region under BJP rule has reached a stage where the govt educational institutions in dogra heart-land are insisting for adoption of Kashmiri culture with reported directions issued to students of IIT Jammu to wear Kashmir, ‘Pherans’ with ‘Afghani caps’, rued Mr. Singh.

            Urging upon the dogra scholars, intellectuals, members of civil society, social and political organizations to rise to the occasion to safeguard the interests of Jammu and its people, the NPP leader cautioned that any delay in the matter could result in irreparable damage.

            Mr. Surinder Chouhan District President (Jammu Rural), Mr. Raj Pratap Singh Youth leader NPP and Mr. Gurdeep Singh Youth Secretary (Jammu Rural) were also present in the press conference.